By Monsuru Olowoopejo

TIME was 11:00 pm.

Vehicles were expected to move with little  or no hindrances on Lagos roads. But  experienced drivers will tell you that late night driving is becoming extremely dangerous in this megacity. Why? Many roads in Lagos have again been taken over by stray animals. The animals range from pets like cats and dogs to domesticated ones like goats, chicken and rams.

Most worrisome is how cows pose serious danger to road users. They are found in almost all parts; from Agege to Oshodi Apapa Expressway, Lagos Badagry Expressway to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, even in many parts of Lagos Island.

For instance, on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, especially at Ojo Local Government end of the road, motorists are forced to halt for minutes to allow  stray cows to  make use of the road at this time; causing traffic gridlock, even as late as three to 4.00 am.

In 2012, the Lagos State Government through its ministry of Agriculture inaugurated its Stray Animal Control Policy Committee to arrest owners of stray animals in the 57 local councils and local council development areas, LCDAs.

The inauguration was necessitated by the accident had by the former Nigerian Goalkeeper, Joseph Dosu, two years earlier. The event coincided with the World Stray Animal Day, which holds annually on April 5 across the continent.

Activities of stray cows
Mr. Ismail Jatto, a truck driver, lamented “whenever one drives on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, one needs to be wary of the activities of stray cows on the road at night.

“These stray cows are found between Iyana-Iba Bus stop and Okokomaiko end of the road. In fact, those who are not conversant with the activities of the stray animals on the road would run into them and it will result into accident,” Jatto added.

On stray cows, Mr. Adedayo Fatai, a commercial driver noted “they sometimes move in herd at night or during the day. And when they are moving in this form, they do not mind if any vehicle is on the road.’’

On how he avoids the cow, Fatai said whenever we get to this end of the road; we reduce our speed and watch if any of the cows would be making use of the road at this time. And when a cow moves, one has to wait until the cow is through.

The situation is worse if they move in herds. One would be forced to wait for over five minutes because no one is directing their affairs. The animals decide what they do. If one fails to do that, it will result into accident.

“Few weeks ago, a commercial driver failed to yield to this tactic; it resulted into accident at the Okokomaiko Bus Stop. Thank God, no life was lost. But the bus was damaged. And it took the intervention of some Northerners who assisted in removing the injured cow from the road,” he added.

A resident, Mr. Samson Chukwu said that they do not know who owns the cows. But we believe that they will belong to one of the ram traders in Alaba Rago market.
Chukwu explained that the market is rated as the largest market for livestocks in the three regions-East, West and South-of the country.

Another resident, Mrs. Loveth Olunwa, urged the state government to help remove the cows from the expressway, saying “this is an international road. And such things should not exist on the road. It is belittling the status of Lagos, a megacity.”